Pakistan arrive to face Windies on ‘home’ tour

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, CMC — Pakistan arrived here yesterday to begin their final preparation to face West Indies in a three-match Twenty20 International series which bowls off here next Friday.

The squad, led by captain Sarfraz Ahmed, touched down here at the Dubai International Airport from Lahore for the “home series” which also includes three One-Day Internationals and three Tests. Pakistan are expected to have their first training session this evening at the ICC Cricket Academy after West Indies take an afternoon session at the same venue.

West Indies go through a training session at the ICC Cricket Academy in preparation for their series against Pakistan. (Photo courtesy WICB Media)

“It is good we are playing three T20 matches against the world champions,” Sarfraz said prior to departure.

“It will give us the opportunity to try out different combinations and give more exposure to the younger players. We have some exciting young players and they made their presence felt in England and this is a good sign for our future.”

West Indies are reigning T20 World champion after winning the World Cup in India last April, and are currently third in the international rankings.

Pakistan, meanwhile, are ranked seventh and are coming off a convincing nine-wicket win over England in a one-off game in Manchester earlier this month. And though West Indies will be missing the likes of Chris Gayle and Andre Russell, Sarfraz said Pakistan were bracing for a tough series.

“They have some really good specialist players for this format and we know what they are capable off. It will not be an easy series for us,” he noted.

“That is good for us because we need to face tough competition while rebuilding the combination.”

Pakistan play all home series in the UAE because of major security concerns in their homeland.